Characteristics of the clinical findings in patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura who are positive for anti-phospholipid antibodies.
It has been reported that anti-phospholipid antibodies are detected in some patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). To study the significance of determination of anti-phospholipid antibodies in patients with ITP, clinical and laboratory findings were compared between patients whose sera were positive for these antibodies (Group A) and non-positive patients (Group B). Anti-cardiolipin antibody (aCL) was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and lupus anticoagulant (LA) was determined by activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and thromboplastin time inhibition test. Seven out of 27 cases of ITP belonged to Group A and 3 of the 7 were confirmed to have anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome (APS). There was a tendency for habitual abortion, and thrombosis, megakaryocytes in the bone marrow and platelet-associated IgG (PAIgG)-positive cells were more frequent in Group A than in Group B. However, it was difficult to discriminate APS from ITP alone, when there were no symptoms or signs of APS. Therefore, measurement of anti-phospholipid antibodies in ITP was thought to be useful for the differential diagnosis of APS and subsequently for the prevention of thrombosis.
Funauchi
M
M
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Kinki University School of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka.
Hamada
K
K
Enomoto
H
H
Ikoma
S
S
Ohno
M
M
Kinoshita
K
K
Horiuchi
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid / Q000097:blood*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008533:Megakaryocytes / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010314:Partial Thromboplastin Time; D010976:Platelet Count; D016553:Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D013223:Statistics as Topic
D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid; D001323:Autoantibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G